About the Master classes

Successor for the Belgian Fundraising Day
In response to actual developments in the fundraising sector, fundraising consultant Ilja De Coster is launching a new initiative: The Supporting Fundraising Master classes.
The Supporting Fundraising Master classes have a simple concept:
  • A full day experience of in-depth learning with an international fundraising top expert.
  • A secure space for exchange, sharing and networking between fundraising professionals.
These Master classes have a specific positioning, distinguishing them from other events in the sector:
  • They are clearly interactive full day high-level trainings where people themselves will have to work, learn, practise and exchange together with other participants.
  • They are not a conference or a lecture, where people just listen and get inspired.
The goal of the Supporting Fundraising Master classes is clear: to support the change you are making in the world by bringing your fundraising to a higher, more professional level.
For 4 years, from 2010 to 2013, the successful Belgian Fundraising Day took place in Mechelen. It became the place to be for anybody involved in fundraising for Belgian non-profits. A place to meet, share, exchange and network for about 350 fundraising professionals and volunteers working for non-profits, suppliers and sector bodies.

The event was an initiative of EthiCom, where fundraising consultant Ilja De Coster was then business partner, and the Dutch Fundraising Magazine. About 10 suppliers to the fundraising sector joined forces as sponsoring partners.

The event was the first in its kind and made a huge contribution to the development of the Belgian fundraising sector. But markets are changing – as well non-profits as their suppliers. The needs of non-profits are changing; the level of professionalism is growing. Fundraising Day needed to become something different.

This is how the Supporting Fundraising Master classes were born. 

Initiative

The Supporting Fundraising Master classes are an initiative of independent fundraising consultant Ilja De Coster. This in close relationships with the Dutch Fundraising Magazine (organiser of the Dutch Fundraising Day). The organiser can rely on a strong network of high level fundraising experts including the Resource Alliance (organiser of the International Fundraising Congress), EUConsult, and international consultancies such as Revolutionise, DUCI, Think CS, the Management Centre, Joyaux Associates and others...

Suppliers to the fundraising sector are invited as sponsoring partners. Different models are proposed.